I use SPG for my blackpowder bullets. However I just started casting 30 caliber bullets for smokeless loads. What would be a good lube for a 30 caliber bullet made of Lyman #2 alloy in the 1200-1500 FPS range, or faster. Thanks in advance. Uncrichie...

After having spent a few weeks at the CAST BOOLITS site I am a veritable Expert on all things lead and lead related.

I have learned that for pistol bullets about anything will work, but at rifle velocities and presures bullets DO require fairly specialised lube.

Take a look at the Cast Boolits forum . A simple search should do if not go to the Mountain Molds site and there is a link.

FN in MT

Here it is

http://www.castpics.net/RandD/felix_lube/felix_lube.htm

I use a simple combination of about 60% beeswax and 40% vegetable oil melted together. It forms a paste like substance that I apply before running 180 grain 30 cal. gas checked bullets through a Lee sizer. You can easily adjust the mixture for the desired texture. Ive shot them @ 2200+ fs with no lead fouling, it's been working great so far.

Your lube needs to match your use and needs.

As a general rule (with the weaknesses of all generalities)
harder alloys and higher velocities will require harder, stronger lubes.

Most of the higher velocity (Heavy & Unrestricted Classes) National Records in Cast Bullet Association bench rest matches have been set with hard wax lubes such as Thompson's Blue Angel or the harder of the LBT Blue series.

On the other hand, blackpowder guns need a lube which will keep the fouling soft, and SPG is pretty darned good for that.

For low (hardness) and slow (velocity) pistol loads, darned near anything (or even nothing at all in many instances) will work pretty well most of the time.

When speaking of high velocity and hard alloys here, I'm referring to a Brinell hardness rating of 18 or more, and a "high" velocity is anything over 1,900 fps.

Best of luck,

AC

lots of choises out there just about any soft lube will work at handgun velocites The spg you use for black powder will work fine with smokeless

Alberta Canuck

Your article is a good summary, very clear.

About the following:

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Your lube needs to match your use and needs.

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Quote:

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For low (hardness) and slow (velocity) pistol loads, darned near anything (or even nothing at all in many instances) will work pretty well most of the time.

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I fully agree with you, at low velocities everything works well, but,among the huge quantity of materials and recipes I couldn�t get a homebrew lube that produce minimum smoke yet.

Do you have any tip for a homebrew lube for minimizing smoke in the 800-1000 fps range for handguns?

I cast my bullets so I can get the hardness I want. Smoke produced by powder was already minimized.

The objective is to get a lube which produces lower smoking level than Lyman Orange Magic, for example.

Thanks for your help

BA Shooter

BA -



Sorry to be so late replying...have been having a variety of alligators nipping at my flanks recently. I can't help you on the smoke angle, as I have never really cared how much my rifles smoked...so have not learned anything about diminishing that effect.



Most of my shooting for the last 15 years is CB benchrest, so I have a pretty good feel for what works accuracy-wise, but not a clue on smoke. A lot of the jacketed bullet shooters at our range accuse me of secretly shooting black powder from my .30-BRs and .30 PPCs, my loads smoke so much.



Personally, I suspect the smoke from my rifles is because of incomplete powder burning, not because of the various lubes I use. I use a lot of VV-N135 in the .30 BR, for example, and although it is a superb accuracy performer, it is a bit slow in burning rate for that size of case. Thus I suspect, much of it burns at relatively low pressure in the air immediately in front of the barrel. Low pressure probably = incomplete burn = smoke. Or so I suspect.



If so, switching to less amount of a faster, hotter, more completely burning powder would likely do away with most of the smoke from my rifles. But they shoot so well, I'll just live with the smoke, thanks anyway.



Sorry I couldn't be of more assistance.



AC

Alberta Canuck

Thanks for your answer, although I am not shooting rifles currently , your idea about low pressure and incomplete burn is very interestanting for me.

Best regards

BA Shooter